I’m so glad you are with us for this third week of What Would Jesus Undo? We spent the first two weeks talking about indifference and hollow worship. Today we want to talk about another area that God might deal with.
A few years ago I was meeting regularly with pastors from around the region for planning a large scale event. I really began to respect some of these guys. They had amazing ministries and were doing enviable things. The event was to take place in Chicago and so we all booked rooms at the same hotel. The evening we got there several of us decided to go out on the town and see some of the city. We ended up at a sports pub. One of the pastor’s got a beer which I am not overtly against alcohol, Jesus himself drank quite a bit of wine and even like to turn water into wine. But for me it's more about the image I reflect to the community. I think this pastor figured that since his church community wasn’t around he could drink. So he did, then he started egging some of the rest of us to have a drink with him. Most of the other guys did. But the problem came for me when the drinking didn’t stop and it moved from beer to liquor. Soon one of the guys was totally trashed and I watched as he began to flirt with other women around the bar. It was at this point that we decided to go before something worse happened. But here’s the thing… I had really lost respect for some of these guys that night. These guys that at home in front of their congregation live a very upright lifestyle, but the moment they were away they started to fall apart. It was clear hypocrisy. AND… That’s what I believe Jesus would want to undo… Hypocrisy.
How many know a hypocrite? Anyone sitting by one?
The #1 complaint from non-Christians about Christians is that we are Hypocrites! Sometimes we as pastors don’t take this as seriously as we should and we joke about it saying, “You Don’t go to church because of all the hypocrites? Well there is room for 1 more.” But it hurts people. People come to the church hoping to find people who are different and better than they are, yet often they find people that are far worse
“The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny him with their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” Brennan Manning
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So I want to begin by Definining what hypocrisy is NOT.
Hypocrisy is not the disparity between what we do and what we wish we did.
We Wish didn’t have bad thoughts but We Do. We Wish we didn’t lie but We Did. That is not hypocrisy. That is sin.
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Hypocrisy is the gap between what we show and who we are.
What we say—How we live. It is the Difference between public persona and private character.
The word Hypocrisy comes from the greek word - hupokrites (hoop-ok-ree-tace'); an actor; stage-player, one who hides behind a mask.
16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him... Titus 1:16
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Jesus talked a lot of hypocrisy, especially when he was talking to the Pharisees. He talked about how you should not be Giving to be seen. The Pharisees would make a big show of their offerings in the temple to make sure everyone could see how much they were giving. Jesus said You should not be Fasting impress. When the Pharisees would fast they would walk around with their faces all scrunched up so people would know they were fasting and how holy they were because of it. Jesus also said that instead of praying loud on a street corner, which is what the pharisees would do, that you should go into a dark closet and pray there so no one knows except for you and God.
Jesus challenged the Pharisees who were constantly Criticizing others, when they themselves were doing the same things and taking advantage of the poor.
Jesus reminded them that the Temple was a House of Worship for all people not just those would were good enough to get in or wealthy enough to pay for ritual sacrifices.
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Jesus never spoke more harshly than to hypocrites. In Matt 23— we find The Seven Woes. One of these woes specifically deals with hypocrisy.
27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness…33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Matt 23:27-28, 33
So Jesus calls out two things specifically here…
Wants to look good on the outside while being dirty on the inside
Wants the illusion of pubic virtue while hiding private vices
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NOTICE: Jesus Wasn’t calling out the sin—He was Calling out the show! (The Mask)
He Didn’t say—Woe to you who cuss—or Watch bad shows He said… Woe to you Hypocrites: Who Do it and act like you don’t.
Social media is a breeding ground for hypocrisy. (#lovingod) How many of you have seen it out there? People put on this show on social media. They want people to think they are living this certain lifestyle. Maybe it's the perfect marriage so they make sure to post a photo every time they are out on their dates being all lovey dovey. I’m just saying couples… check your heart, why are you posting that picture? There are others who make sure every Sunday to check-in on facebook when they get to church. They want to make sure that others know they made it church this Sunday… even when they might even be sitting on their couch at home. Check your heart! There are some the post their devotions every time they do them, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but check your heart… are you doing it because you want others to know something God has revealed to you or are you doing it because you are just proud that you are doing it.
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Hear this… Jesus has zero tolerance for hypocrisy. Just look at how he treated the Pharisees. He also had nothing good to say about their eternal position if they did not change their hypocrisy. However… He has unlimited grace for a sinner in need of forgiveness. As a sinner you cannot step outside the bounds of God’s grace. God is always offering forgiveness to the person who truly repents of the sin they have been living in.
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There is HOPE FOR THE HYPOCRITE
25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Matt 23:25-26
I hope none of you have begun to place me on a pedestal. I have to tell you that I struggle with this just as much as anyone does. It's hard not only being a Christian but also being in a position where people have an expectation that you are going to model exceptional behavior. I’m telling you that I will fail every time with that expectation. What I have to work on in my life is not trying to pretend that I’m that perfect person. I really try to be as real as I can be with you and to show you that I am a real person too
I Preach grace— but to be honest, I Pick people apart.
I Shouldn’t care what people think— but I’m always checking social media to see if someone has commented on what I said or something that happened on Sundays—Compare.
I Shouldn’t love this world— But to be honest I Feel safe with more money in the bank.
I’d rather be an honest sinner than a lying hypocrite.
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13 Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Prov 28:13
You are only as strong as you are honest.
Moment of Truth:
Read your bible on your phone—Look at porn on it later.
Tell your spouse you love them—Flirt at work.
Church person on Sunday—Different at work on Monday
Showing perfect marriage—Yet your marriage is in desperate need of Help.
Do you act Chriatian—Yet you have a Secret addiction.
Are you caught up in Material things — Yet you are drowning in Debt.
Drop mask—Confess to God—and to People
You have nothing to fear when you have nothing to hide.
Jesus has zero tolerance for hypocrisy
He has unlimited grace for a sinner in need of forgiveness.
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23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-23
What is hypocrisy? Gap between what we show and who we are.
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We don’t close the gaps with perfection.
We close the gaps with Christ.
Stop trying to be a good Christian—We aren’t good.
Spend time with the One who is good—Jesus. Then you will be transformed from the inside out.
Jesus has zero tolerance for hypocrisy
He has unlimited grace for a sinner in need of forgiveness.
Have you experienced that grace?
Have you confessed that sin?
Do you need to stop being a hypocrite?
TODAY is the day! Come and give your life to Christ today. Start fresh today.
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